Peter Britcliffe says.................

[WillowTheWhisp]

Our esteemed council leader would like to see the stretch of Blackburn Road from Broadway to Church Street closed to all traffic, including buses. This is necessary he says due to the fact that although it is currently closed to all but buses car drivers continue to use it.

A suggestion to use traffic lights which would only turn green for buses, meaning that any car driving through would be going through a red light and face prosecution, has been rejected. That comment doesn't really surprise me because they can't prevent people ignoring the no entry signs at present so how would they prevent them ignoring a red light?

However, and this is the part which really intrigues me............... Mr. Britcliffe says that the red light system wouldn't work because it would prevent post vans and more importantly, the mayor's car,from accessing that part of the road (ie in front of the Town Hall) So how is making the whole thing totally pedestrian and preventing all, every and any vehicles going to be better for the post vans and the mayor's car?

And as a post script - what about delivery vans? ambulances?

[Stanleyguy]

I've got a simple solution.

They should pedestrianise that area in front of the Town Hall and ban ALL vehicles from crossing. I've lost count of the times I've seen buses just missing pedestrians who are caught unawares because they think they are in a pedestrian area.

Secondly, they should make Blackburn Road (between Eagle Street and Union Street) one way into town, and reverse the one way system on Union Street. That way, buses coming from Blackburn/Ossy could stop on Blackburn Road, and exit via Union Street to the viaduct roundabout, go back up King Street and right into Blackburn Road. They wouldn't need to cross in front of the Town Hall to get to Peel Street, which is already congested. It would mean setting up some terminus bus stops along Blackburn Road, but if it is one-way it will be wide enough to take it. Peel Street would no longer be the town's "bus station", but is it really a bus station in the true sense of the word - or rather just a glorified series of bus stops?

The new one way system would also relieve the congestion at the Blackburn Road/Eagle Street junction, which was never designed for the volume of traffic it gets at rush hour.

If any emergency vehicles need to cross in front of the Town Hall, they could access the pedestrian area in the same way that it is possible to access the Broadway pedestrianised area at present ie gingerly and in exceptional circumstances. (What happens at present, say, if someone in Woolworths needs an ambulance? The ambulance carefully accesses the pedestrianised area.)

Does the Mayors Car really need access to the front of the Town Hall? Surely it could park at the side near the Market Hall. It might mean the Mayor having to walk a few yards to get in the car, but I'm sure the mayoral allowance could be adjusted to compensate for wear and tear on shoe leather.

[mani]

that one way system doesnt sound too bad y'know

goin into blackburn rd from and then turnin left onto union st...

they'd have to sort out the roundabout junction at the end of union st though

that wud b a lil bit of a hazard./...

[WillowTheWhisp]

I'd have thought having the area in front of the Market Hall pedestrian would be just as valid as the area in front of the Town Hall because people cross from the market to the shops. That would stop the mayor's car getting down the side of the market though, and also stop delivery vehicles getting down there. I still think delivery vehicles need access.

I don't see any reason why buses shouldn't go up Eagle St and along Paradise St like everybody else. Fern Gore buses go on Paradise St and then down Church St to the bus station.

The problem with the idea of Blackburn buses stopping along Blackburn Rd (going back to the olden days before we had a bus station) is that not everyone is simply travelling from Blackburn to Accy and vice versa. Some may be changing buses to go to Huncoat or Clayton and having to get off one bus and walk a considerable distance to the next can make a difference as to whether they miss the bus or catch it. Also in bad weather, which we get more than a fair share of, it wouldn't be pleasant. I do think there's a valid case for all bus routes terminating in one place.

[ShortStuff]

Wasn't the council thinking of moving the bus station to the land currently used as a car park off Blackburn Road, just after Eagle St? If that was the case the area in front of the town hall could be free of buses. But losing the car-parking would create another problem.

[WillowTheWhisp]

That was one suggestion. The council is full of suggestions but precious little progress.

[les stewart]

Even at Accrington Grammar School Peter Britcliffe had stupid ideas

[WillowTheWhisp]

Not much changed there then.

[Darby]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Not much changed there then.

I think he's matured....now he gets even more stupid ideas, and tries to put them into practice

[Acrylic-bob]

Well, if the steaming half-wit gets his way, the Town Hall will be sold off to the highest bidder some time soon (J.D. Witherspoon's has been suggested) and so the problem of access for His Worship The Mayor's car will not be an issue, since His Worship will not need to call at The former Town Hall, unless it is to pop in for a pint.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Was Peter Andre inspired by Accy when he wrote "Insania" ?

[entwisi]

No Willow or it would have been called Total Insania